1. Field of the Invention
Long flexible items such as ropes, hoses, extension cords, and the like, are generally sold to consumers wound in a coil of a predetermined length (e.g. 100 feet) with loops wrapped around the coils to keep them from tangling. Upon first use, the item is generally stretched out to its full length. When the item is rewound for storage or otherwise gathered together, the coils often become mixed so that the coils become tangled when stretching them out for subsequent use. A common cause of a tangle is that one coil forms a loop which is encircled by a second coil. A large tangle will contain many of these or similar situations in a complex mass. Often, simply pulling on one end of the tangled item will not suffice to stretch it out to its full length but merely tightens the coil around the loop into a knot or a series of knots. The correct procedure for untangling the item is to pull the loop out of the coil and to separate coils from different sections of the item. Often, cursory inspection of the tangle does not immediately identify the loop from the mass of coils and loops forming the tangle and does not aid in the separation of the various sections of the item. The present invention allows immediate identification of coils so that those that are tangled are readily identified, and untangling thereof may proceed expeditiously.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art contains examples of means such as indicia extending along the length of a pipe, hose, or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,487,064 shows a heating element which is visibly marked at successive points there along whereby it may be selectively cut to a length to provide a selected electrical resistance. U.S. design Pat. No. 14,451 shows an electrical conductor which is divided into sectional bands, or zones of different shades of color. U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,873 shows a fiber optic cable with a magnetic marker comprising magnetized magnetic material for use in locating the cable when buried. U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,617 shows a tube having different characteristics along its length. U.S. Pat. No. 1,982,304 shows a line having a series of sections or bands of color for use in determining the length of a cast. U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,393 shows a starting cord for an outboard motor with indicia for indicating uniform predetermined distances there along. U.S. Pat. No. 2,602,233 shows a measuring line with differently colored sections there along. U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,458 shows a fishing line having linear sections of different colors arranged in order of intensity of visibility for use in turbid waters. U.S. Pat. No. 1,935,970 shows a continuous towel with a diagonally positioned stripe for use in indicating quantity of towel remaining in a towel dispenser. U.S. Reissue Pat. No. Re 30,393 shows a plastic pipe construction which includes a metallic strip that is either wound around the pipe in a spiral fashion, or runs linearly along the length of the pipe. When buried, metal detector means may be used to locate the metallic strip and plastic pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 2,449,265 shows a radiator hose which is marked with numerals and lines along the length thereof to guide in cutting at selected points from the hose ends. U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,309 shows a rigid pipe having alpha-numeric indicia extending there along, which indica allow for determination of the end and center of the pipe as a guide to excavation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,000 shows a fire hose that includes direction indicating clamps at spaced distances there along which clamps point toward the direction out of a building. The clamps allow fire fighters trapped in a building to determine the direction to the outside. U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,123 shows a flexible hose with a wear-indicating helical ridge that protrudes above the surface of the hose. The wear of the ridge serves as an indication of hose wear. U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,768 shows a hose that is provided with a longitudinally extending indica strip in which a trademark or other information conveying indica may be engraved. U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,145 shows a process for application of indica to elastomer substrates at ambient temperature. Some of the above-mentioned prior art pipes and hoses are rigid, or semi-rigid, and, therefore, are not capable of tangling. Consequently, any associated means such as indica, strip, or the like, does not function as an aid to untangling. Of prior art long flexible members that are capable of tangling, none include a non-alpha-numeric code which continuously changes non-repetitively from one end of the member to the other end for uniquely identifying position at substantially every point along the length of the member by means of which code tangled coils located anywhere along the length of the member may be readily identified and, therefore, may be readily untangled.